Al Pickard

Pickard was elected president of the CAHA on May 5, 1947, to succeed Hanson Dowell.[35] The CAHA established the permanent position of a secretary-manager for the CAHA, which was filled by George Dudley.[35] The CAHA renegotiated its professional-amateur agreement with the NHL, which included $2,000 per player signed to the NHL and $1,000 per player signed to the minor leagues. Dudley anticipated that the new deal would exceed the existing $20,000 flat rate agreement signed in May 1946.[36] The CAHA ratified the proposed merger of the International Ice Hockey Association into the LIHG, which became the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF). Pickard stated that the CAHA and AHAUS would be assured of autonomy under the agreement which governed relationships between national ice hockey organizations.[37]

Pickard attended the IIHF congress that debated whether ice hockey at the 1948 Winter Olympics would be played according to the strict International Olympic Committee (IOC) definition of amateur, or whether the IIHF would hold its Ice Hockey World Championships separate from the Olympic Games.[38] Canada did not participate in the 1947 Ice Hockey World Championships and the CAHA had decided not to participate in the 1948 Winter Olympics in disagreement with the definition of amateur by the IOC.[39] Pickard felt Canada was obliged to send a Canada men's national ice hockey team truly representative of the "greatest hockey country" in the world, and honestly take the Olympic Oath as amateurs.[40] He stated that Canada would have been misunderstood, "if we had refused to participate because we did not get our own way".[39]

The Ottawa RCAF Flyers at the 1948 Winter Olympics.

The Canadian Olympic Association indicated it would accept any team nominated by the CAHA which met amateur eligibility. Pickard announced the Ottawa RCAF Flyers were chosen to represent the country and appeal to patriotic support for the RCAF, but still continued to press for international recognition of the CAHA's definition of amateur.[41] He also confirmed that the CAHA would pay the national team's expenses for the Olympics, and provide support to use the best Canadian players available.[42] The RCAF Flyers won the gold medal at the Olympics, and were given special consideration to enter the 1948 Allan Cup playoffs upon their return from Europe.[43] Pickard later stated that the national team was highly regarded in Europe and were noted for being gentlemen both on and off the ice.[44]

Foster Hewitt

Pickard oversaw the playoffs in Western Canada for the Allan Cup and Memorial Cup. He supported a resolution where any radio station which broadcast a team's games during the regular season would not pay a premium for the additional playoffs games, and the appointment of Foster Hewitt as the national radio commissioner.[45] CKFI protested to Pickard regarding a $25-per-game fee imposed by Hewitt to broadcast games for the Fort Frances Canadians during the 1948 Allan Cup playoffs, and claimed that no radio station paid fees to broadcast the 1948 Memorial Cup playoffs.[46] Pickard did not want to grant exclusive radio broadcast rights to any station, and the CAHA decided that only out-of-town radio stations would pay a broadcast fee for final games in the Allan Cup and Memorial Cup.[47]

Pickard scheduled the seventh game of the Western Canada junior final at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto, where the 1948 Memorial Cup finals were also scheduled. CAHA by-laws at the time stated that a seventh game be played at a neutral site and the Winnipeg Amphitheatre was unavailable. The decision was criticized in Western Canada, and the Winnipeg Free Press charged that the CAHA was "doing anything for a profit".[48] Pickard responded that any money collected by the CAHA was contributed to the "good of hockey in Canada", and that approximately $78,000 of its annual $100,000 intake was reinvested into future development and covered travel expenses for teams during Allan Cup and Memorial Cup play.[48]

In the 1948 Memorial Cup final, Barrie Flyers' coach Hap Emms threatened that his team would not play the fourth game without a change of referees. Pickard declined to change the referees and the Port Arthur West End Bruins won the series in the fourth game.[49] Pickard suspended Flyers' player Alf Guarda two years for striking referee Vic Lindquist during game four, and condemned the behaviour of Emms and the team's failure to respect on-ice officials.[50]

Clarence Campbell

In the weeks leading up to the 1948 general meeting, the CAHA considered two proposals to semi-professionalize player contracts in junior and senior hockey in Canada.[51]

NHL president Clarence Campbell, suggested to create professional leagues from the top amateur leagues in Canada. He proposed that such professional leagues could have a reserve list not exceeding twenty players from an amateur senior league who were signed to a contract with a reserve clause. He also proposed that senior leagues agree to a salary limit and a player draft by professional leagues.[52] The plan would pay $5,000 per amateur player signed by each NHL team, or $3,500 by each American Hockey League team, and eliminate the existing annual grant of $31,000 to the CAHA.[53][54] The Canadian Press noted that clubs which operated under CAHA jurisdiction were exempt from the 20 per cent federal amusement tax, and that accepting the proposal might remove that benefit.[52]

OHA president George Panter, made a separate proposal that called for a contract system for the A-level players in senior and junior hockey, where a maximum of six players could be on a professional-style contact that could be sold or traded openly. A third proposal from CAHA past-president Cecil Duncan, was to establish a major series in senior hockey for the teams which dominated Allan Cup play.[51] CAHA life member and former Allan Cup trustee William Northey, wrote a letter to Pickard which recommended that both the Allan Cup and Memorial Cup be retired since they no longer represented amateur competition, and that the CAHA should drop the word amateur from its name.[55][56]

Pickard favoured renewing the existing professional-amateur agreement signed in 1947,[57] and stated that the proposals "would have a profound effect on the future of the CAHA if accepted".[54] Campbell was invited by Pickard to present and discuss the NHL's contract proposals before a seven-man committee in advance of the general meeting.[51] The committee declined to present Campbell's and Panter's proposals to the delegates for voting. Pickard stated they would be tabled for further consideration, and Campbell understood that it would not affect the existing agreement between the NHL and the CAHA which included the annual grant. The committee also rejected Northey's calls to drop the word amateur, and explained that the CAHA was built upon teams which operated as a community efforts and that profits were invested into development of minor hockey.[58]

Danny Lewicki

Pickard was re-elected president in April 1948,[47] despite speculation from the Canadian Press that he would be replaced.[59] The CAHA had no first vice-president at the time since Norman Dawe died unexpectedly in January 1948. No replacement had been named for Dawe, and Western Canada delegates reportedly sought to have OHA president George Panter elected.[59][60]

Pickard attended the IIHF congress in Zürich in July 1948,[61] and sought for the adoption of the CAHA definition of amateur in an effort to ice an international team truly representative of Canada.[62] W. G. Hardy was elected president of the IIHF, and Pickard felt that Hardy had represented Canada well and "did a superb job of cementing hockey relations in Europe".[63]

The new OHA president, J. J. McFadyen, criticized the modern ice hockey rules and felt they were made to suit the American spectator and had been dictated by the NHL. Pickard wanted to see the rules more strictly enforced for player safety, but denied that rules were tailored to professional play in the United States and stated that the rules were made by mutual decision between the CAHA and the NHL.[64]

Toronto Maple Leafs team owner Conn Smythe threatened to have Danny Lewicki suspended from junior hockey, if he refused to report according to having signed a C-form at age 16.[65] The form gave bonus money to a prospect played under age 18, in return for a future professional commitment and offer of a contract. Despite players signing the form and being aware of its contents, it was criticized as slavery by players, coaches, parents, and media in Canada since it was introduced in 1947. The CAHA was compelled to support the form according to the professional-amateur agreement.[66] Lewicki refused to play for the Toronto Marlboros junior team, and wanted to play in smaller towns and return to the Stratford Kroehlers.[67] Pickard supported the Maples Leafs in the dispute, but would not suspend Lewicki from junior hockey since the player was only aged 17 at the time and had not yet signed or been offered the professional contract.[65][68]

The New Yorker Hotel

The CAHA held its first general meeting outside of Canada when it joined AHAUS and the IIHF concurrently at the New Yorker Hotel in May 1949. The joint meetings were arranged by AHAUS president Tommy Lockhart, who felt that it demonstrated international ice hockey co-operation.[69] The event was also the first time that the CAHA and AHAUS held a joint annual meeting.[69]

North American professional and amateur leagues agreed on a campaign to sell hockey to Canadians and Americans. A committee composed of Pickard, Hardy and Campbell, was made to "plan and develop a positive statement of hockey objectives for a vigorous presentation to the public".[70] The campaign was in response to alleged exploitation of young hockey players by professional teams, and wanted to stress hockey as a career and an honorable profession.[70] Pickard sought to maintain the existing regulations which limited player movement across Canada to suit the amateur needs. Motions at the general meeting to increase the number of inter-branch transfers were all defeated.[70]

Edmonton Mercurys jersey

In August 1949, Pickard announced that the Edmonton Mercurys would represent Canada at the 1950 Ice Hockey World Championships in England. He conceded that Edmonton was not the strongest choice since it played at the intermediate level of senior hockey, but amateur requirements made it difficult to send a top flight team to the Ice Hockey World Championships. The CAHA scheduled a three-month European tour for the team and committed to finding the best available players as reinforcements.[71] Edmonton regained the World Championships title for Canada without losing a game, and avoided further disappointment after the second-place finish at the 1949 Ice Hockey World Championships.[72]

In advance of the 1950 CAHA semiannual meeting, Pickard spoke out against the dump and chase style of hockey which led to skirmishes in the corners of the ice rink. He felt it was not interesting to spectators and noted that players were being injured along the sideboards. He believed that changes would eventually be made, despite difficulties in agreeing on rule changes to prevent the issue but not cause other problems.[73] At the meeting, delegates from Ontario and Quebec wanted to eliminate the "east-west line" between the Thunder Bay Amateur Hockey Association and the Ontario Hockey Association, over which no player transfers were allowed after a September 1 deadline. Western Canada supported the line to maintain its talent and prevent imbalance. Pickard refused to accept the motion and deferred it until a proper notice of motion was submitted to update the constitution.[74]

The CAHA faced issues with the professional-style operation of its top-level senior teams during the 1950 Allan Cup playoffs.[75] Conn Smythe threatened that the Toronto Marlboros senior team would not continue the playoffs unless the CAHA guaranteed the team against financial losses for travel to the finals in Calgary, and claimed that it cost $2,000 per week to keep the team operational.[75][76] Although the CAHA offered to pay tourist-class train tickets, the Marlboros insisted they travelled only by first-class accommodations.[77] The London Free Press sports editor Jack Park, wrote that Smythe did not appreciate the prestige of winning the Allan Cup, and that the CAHA was essentially sponsoring teams by covering travel expenses. Park speculated that amateur hockey might be fading away, and that teams in larger cities would rather operate openly as professional to have more control over player salaries due to the competition for talent.[75]

The CAHA's general meeting in 1950 was held in Banff, Alberta. Pickard did not seek a fourth term as president and expected to return to senior hockey in Saskatchewan.[78][79]